Refrigerator shelf



Dec. 29, 1936. w. F. scHuLz REFRIGERATOR SHELF Filed Oct. 29, 1955 a v ws I- 7 WALTER F. SCHULZ Patented Dec. 29, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE REFRIGERATOR SHELF Application October 29, 1935, Serial No.47,301 I 3 Claims. (01. 211- 143) such as are commonly used inrefrigerators, or

other cabinet structures, and more particularly to supports for suchshelves when in their extended or projected positions.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel and efiectivesupporting means for the shelf 1 which will be extended when the shelfis slid out from the cabinet, and which will support the shelf inadvance of the cabinet to prevent sagging with its consequentdisadvantages.

Another object is to provide a simple and inexpensive device of thischaracter which will not easily get out of order, and which will affordeasy operation of the shelf and a firm support therefor.

The above objects are obtained by providing a pair of swinging armspivoted to the cabinet or other supporting structure, the free ends ofwhich are swung outwardly by the shelf as it is slid from the cabinet,and which arms act as supports for the outer portion of the shelf whenit is drawn outof the supporting structure.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a shelf provided with the supports. I

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a broken plan view. Figure 4 isa sectional view showing adetail of the pivot mounting. 1

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the assembly of the shelf guide,the trackway and the mounting for the arm. Figure 6 is an elevationpartly in section showing a modification.

Describing the drawing more particularly, a supporting structure I, suchas a refrigerator or other cabinet, has mounted on the inner sides ofits wall, a pair of U'-shaped front brackets 8, each of which has a pairof vertically spaced legs 9 attached to the cabinet and a connectingportion III and a pair of rear brackets II. Each pair, 8 and I I, ofthese brackets supports between them a guide I2, in which is slidablymounted a shelf I3.

In order to prevent the shelf from sagging when it is drawn outfrom thecabinet, and when the forward part thereof is beyond the forward ends ofthe guides I2, the following structure is provided. Each of the frontbrackets 3 has pivoted therein an arm I4, one end of which is upwardlybent'to form a pivot pin I5 which extends up through openings in bothlegs 9 of the bracket 8 to a point above the shelf I3 and above theupper leg of the bracket 8 where it may be secured, as

by a nut I8. The opposite end of the arm l4 extends beneath the shelfand the end I'I thereof is upwardly bent and preferably rounded toafford a slidable bearing member.

To the underside of the shelf I3 is secured a 5 trackway I8 having a topwall I9 which bears upon the rounded ends ll of the arms I4, anddepending side walls 20 whichserve to guide the ends I! of the arms I4.The track I8 may advantageously be made in one piece, though a 10separate section for each of the arms may be provided. The rearward endsof the track are located adjacent each side of the shelf I3 at a pointapproximately midway between the front and the back thereof and thetrack extends in a 15 curve forwardly and toward the center of theshelf. The rearward ends of the track I8 may be provided with walls 2|which act as stops. The upturned ends II of the arms I4 are engaged inthe trackway and bear against the top wall I9 20 thereof, while the sidewalls 20 act to swing the ends I! of the arms I4 as the shelf is drawnout or pushed in.

As the shelf is drawn outwardly the ends of the arms are swung out andslide along the track, and 25 the upturned ends bearing against the stopwall I9 afford a support for the shelf in advance of the cabinet, asshown more clearly in Figure 3.

In Figure 6 a modification is shown in which the arms 2I have rollers 22journaled in their 30 ends. In this case the track 23 may be ellipticalwith a relatively narrow slot 24 in its bottom and in which a reducedneck 25 of the roller may travel. I

The above described structure has many ad- 35 vantages, It is strong andsupports the shelf firmly when extended. It produces very littlefriction and allows the shelf to be slid very easily. It is inexpensiveto manufacture and attach and is of gneat assistance in providing for40,

the satisfactory use of sliding shelves.

From the foregoing it is'though that the construction, operation andmany advantages of the herein described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further descrip- -l5 tion, and it willbe understood that various changesin thesize, shape, proportion andminor details of construction may be resorted to with-'- out'departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages ofthe invention.

What I claim is: r 1. In combination with a sliding shelf and asupporting structure therefor including a stationary wall, an armpivoted to the'stationary Wall rearwardly of the front of the shelf and55 having a free end, and a trackway secured to the shelf and slidablyengaging the free end of the arm to cause the arm to be swung outwardlybeneath the shelf as the shelf isslid out to afford a support for theextendedshelf.

2. In combination with a supporting structure and a,v shelf havingopenings therein slidably mounted thereon, an arm pivoted to thesupporting structure near the front thereof and beneath the shelf, saidarm having afree upturned end, and a trackway having a continuous topwall mounted on the underside of the shelf and slidably engaging thefree end of the arm, to cause it to swing outwardly beneath the shelf asthe latter is slid out, and the top wall of the track resting on theupturned end of the extending upwardly above the shelf, the opposite endof the am being free to swing beneath the shelf, and a, means mounted onthe underside of the shelf to cause the arm to swingoutwardly as theshelf is slid out, to afford a support for the extended shelf.

' WALTER FL scmmz.

